-Elara POV-
-Wooooooooosh-
The strong gusts of wind brush past me as I fly over the forest. I stare at the sea of greenery beneath me, watching the treetops sway with the wind. The smell of wood, greenery, and moss fills my nose; it makes me feel calm and relaxed. But I can't help clicking my tongue, irritated. Eldaren held no reports of anyone missing—no report of anyone even going to the Howling Thicket from this side of the forest.
I close my eyes, frustration and worry gnawing at me. If that person isn't in Calneth, then where? Someone with that kind of Aether capacity wouldn't just die—not like that. No… If they wanted, they could turn their Aether into a makeshift mini nuke, or worse.
"Damn it."
The curse slips from my lips as I surge forward. Lightning crackles across my body, nerves sparking to life as my reaction time sharpens. My senses flare into overdrive as I burst through the plume of clouds.
And in the distance, I see it—
Calneth.
A modest village sitting beyond Eldaren, just past the dangerous Howling Thicket. The fact that it has survived this long, standing so close to an Abyssal Vein, is suspicious enough. Thriving here? Even more so, considering they don't have the Crown city backing them like Eldaren does.
I lower myself toward the forest's edge. Fishing through my pocket, I pull out a sleek black card—my picture and credentials stamped across it. An official card from The Foundry, the kind professors use for identification.
I start walking toward the village, extending my hand as earth particles converge into two slender vines. They weave through my dark hair, gathering the upper layers into a neat half-updo, leaving the rest to fall freely over my shoulders.
"Not a formal visit, so this should do."I murmur, brushing a stray strand behind my ear. The vines loosen back into dust, their work done.
******
-Kaiser POV-
'Why? Why me?'
I look around the dark, smoky, musky, and filthy cave. The air is filled with the stench of blood and sweat. Dozens of half-naked men and women toil away, lifting heavy pickaxes and slamming them into stone. Some collapse, their bodies going still, only for guards to come in and drag them away—never to be seen again.
That's how it's been for… I don't even know how long. T-the scary guy… B-Baston Hog… he brought me here and told me to watch from the sidelines until he returned. He said these people were his hired workers, but… they look like… they're dying.
Like that person in the barn… and the one in the forest, Gawin…
I killed him.
...
I look down. My hands—they haven't stopped shaking. Why? I can feel something in my chest, like it's about to burst… from fear.
The world seems to move on its own. I blink, and the echoes of pickaxes hitting stone, the yelling and crying, fade into the background.
...
—?
When I open my eyes, everything's different. The workers have stopped laboring; they form a long line, and at the end of it sits a cart with food.
They're being fed… maybe it's not so bad.
Maybe some of them just went to sleep early, and the guards took them away.
I look down. My hands—they're still shaking.
When I look back up, I notice that all the workers have knelt, facing a smaller cave—I think that's where we came from. I rub my blurry eyes and refocus in that direction.
And I see him.
The Pigmaster, Baston Hog. His mere presence makes everyone bow on their knees; even the one tending the cart is down.
—?!
Besides the Baron, I see a familiar figure.
Short blonde hair just past her shoulders, amber-colored eyes framed by a pair of spectacles, a petite frame.
"N-nurse Nella?"
I whisper, barely audible.
The Baron looks around the cave before his eyes settle on the workers and the food cart.
"What is this?"
His voice drops low.
...
But nobody answers; instead, they tremble in fear. The Baron takes a step closer, and another, and another.
He walks past the line and approaches the person manning the cart—a short, bald man who looks older than eighty.
"What is this cart?" the Baron asks in a soft tone.
"M-my lord, I only felt it right to let the workers have something to eat. They've been working in here for days without anything to eat."The old man is barely holding it together, his body shaking uncontrollably as he practically slams his head onto the stone floor.
Baston Hog looks around the cave; none of the workers have stood or spoken.
"So you're all hungry, is that it?"
...
"It's alright. You can answer me. Are you all hungry?"
...
Before Baston can repeat his question, a worker stands up. A woman, her disheveled brown hair coated with stones and dirt. Her eyes, though, still hold a hint of fierceness and defiance.
"My lord, we've been working in here for the past four days without food. The others and I desperately need something to eat, which is why we called for Uncle Sam to bring us something. Please, allow us at least this one thin—
SLASH!
...
THUD!
...
The other workers lift their heads just enough to see the source of the noise. And when they see it—
Panic erupts.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
A chorus of screams, yells, crying, and begging fills the cave as they see the lifeless, headless body of one of their own. To some, a friend; to others, family, a lover, and to some… a mother.
I feel my breath leave my lungs as a panicked sob rises in my throat. A-another one… A-again, d-dead. My chest tightens as if something is crushing it from the inside. I see the culprit responsible for that woman's death—Nurse Nella—and my entire body trembles violently, limbs shaking uncontrollably. The stench of blood and death burns in my nostrils, making bile rise in my throat.
"N-nurse N-Nella... W-why?"
My voice cracks and trails into a whimper. My hands shake so badly I can barely keep them in front of my face. My eyes, wide and unblinking, refuse to look away from the scene—the lifeless, headless body sprawled on the stone floor, the blood pooling and glistening in the dim cave light. Every instinct in me screams to run, to hide, to throw up, but my legs refuse to move.
She was the one who protected me, who cared for me like a mother. And yet… she killed, without a flicker of hesitation. My stomach churns. My heart races, thumping so hard it feels like it might burst from my chest.
A chorus of screams, sobs, and begging rises from the other workers, echoing off the cave walls, but I hear none of it. Only the sound of my quick, shallow breaths.
"Haaaaa— haaaaa— haaaaa— haaaa—"
My ears start ringing, a high-pitched whine drowning out all my thoughts as I stare on in horror.
"———"
I watch as the Baron does something that makes everyone freeze, their bodies dropping to the floor quicker than a falling brick.
I subconsciously crawl away, my back hitting the rough stone cave wall.
She looks sad and says something, but I can't hear it.
I force my knees up and bury my face in them, pressing my hands over my ears as tightly as I can.
'P-please end this. Someone, help me, please...'
I beg for someone, anyone, to help me.
******
I open my eyes and find myself walking beside Baston and Nella.
Everything feels empty, like I've lost something. An empty, cavernous hole where my heart is supposed to be.
Did I lose consciousness? How am I walking?
Or did I just... forget everything?
It doesn't matter...
Nothing matters.
I look up, peeking from behind the Baron's back. He and Nella are speaking with a woman. Green eyes that seem to sparkle, a long-sleeved green shirt with jewels at the neckline. Her long dark hair is pulled into a neat half-updo.
Our eyes meet, and she flashes a warm smile and a wave. I weakly wave back, unable to return even a fraction of that warmth, my hands trembling.
I close my eyes, submitting myself to this kind of life.
What's the point?
...
What if I tried running away? Right now?
But looking at the Baron and the woman next to him—the one I trusted—they wouldn't hesitate to cut me down.
I'm supposed to be a worker for them. That's all I am. So much has happened that they haven't even shown me my place yet.
I think that's where we're going… to the place I'll have to call my home… my prison. Confinement.
I look down. My hands—they're still shaki—
"Hey, are you okay?"
My eyes fly up to see the beautiful lady looking right at me.
I look around, then point a trembling finger at myself. She nods.
...
I glance toward the Baron… then at Nella… and nod slowly.
Baston's hand pushes me behind his back as he takes over.
"I apologize, Miss Veythorne, but my son here has had a bad day and would like to go home as quickly as possible."
The lady nods. "I understand, Baron. I will help you look for this red-eyed child while also looking into my own case. Thank you both for your time."
I watch as the lady leaves, regret filling my mind. W-what if she could've helped me?
No… I doubt it. People are liars. They're all murderers. She would've probably laughed in my face with them.
As the Baron takes my hand, I cast one last glance at the woman before surrendering myself to the void of nothingness.